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A Clockwork Orange

Stanley Kubrick series

The one and only. Banned in Britain (by the director himself) for 27 years, A Clockwork Orange is now regarded as an undisputed classic. Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Anthony Burgess' novel is an operatic riot of language, style, and biting satire, with a legendary Wendy Carlos/Beethoven soundtrack.

In a futuristic Britain, a gang of thugs (droogs) controlled by one young man, Alex, run rampant - perpetrating rape, muggings, beatings galore. Eventually Alex is captured, subjected to experimental treatment to cure him of his anti-social tendencies, and released back into polite society...

A much-maligned and misunderstood classic, this is one of Kubrick's finest movies. It's all stylised, from Burgess' invented pidgin Russian to 2001-style slow tracks, through sculpturally-perfect sets and exaggerated, grotesque performances. Made in 1971, based on a novel from 1962, A Clockwork Orange resonates across the years. Its future is quaint now, however, the world of "Municipal Flat Block 18A, Linear North" is very much with us. - Empire